US Winter Storm Chaos: 10,000 Flights Axed, 800,000 Without Power
A colossal winter storm has unleashed chaos across the United States, leading to the cancellation of more than 10,000 flights and leaving over 800,000 households without electrical power. The severe weather system, described as an "Arctic siege" by officials, is impacting more than half of the nation's population.
Widespread Disruption and Emergency Declarations
According to the National Weather Service, at least 180 million residents across 37 states are feeling the effects of this brutal storm. In response, seventeen states along with the District of Columbia have declared states of emergency. Rescue teams and emergency supplies are now on high alert and standby to assist affected communities.
The forecast predicts staggering snowfall totals, with regions in New England and the Ohio Valley potentially receiving up to 18 inches (45 centimetres) of snow. The NWS has also issued dire warnings for other areas, including:
- Significant freezing rain leading to "catastrophic ice accumulation"
- Extremely dangerous and bone-chilling wind chills affecting tens of millions of people
Transportation Gridlock and Historic Flight Cancellations
The storm's impact on air travel has been profound. Data from the tracking website FlightAware shows that more than 10,000 flights were cancelled on Sunday alone, with an additional 8,000 experiencing delays. Aviation analytics firm Cirium reports that this represents the highest number of single-day cancellations since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the ground, transportation is equally hampered. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has urged the public to "stay home" due to the perilously cold temperatures. In New Jersey, Governor Mikie Sherrill has imposed a 35 mph speed limit on major highways, anticipating conditions not seen in years.
Power Failures and Infrastructure Strain
Utility services are buckling under the strain. By early afternoon Eastern Time, outage tracking service PowerOutage.us reported over 889,000 customers without electricity. The state of Tennessee has been hit the hardest, with more than 300,000 connections lost. Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi have also each reported over 100,000 affected households.
Major cities are deploying all available resources. In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that thousands of refuse lorries have been fitted with snow ploughs to clear streets. The city is bracing for its coldest temperatures in eight years, with schools shifting to remote learning on Monday—a measure mirrored in other storm-battered states.
Officials Issue Grave Warnings
Governors and meteorologists are emphasising the storm's severity and unique nature. New York Governor Kathy Hochul starkly described the situation: "An Arctic siege has taken over our state. It is brutal, it is bone chilling and it is dangerous." Record-breaking lows have already been recorded, including a frigid -45°C (-49°F) in the village of Copenhagen, New York.
Josh Weiss from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration highlighted the storm's unusual characteristics, noting its vast 2,000-mile spread and the prolonged, extreme cold forecast to linger for days. In Georgia, senior state meteorologist Will Lanxton warned this could be "perhaps the biggest ice storm we have expected in more than a decade."
As the nation endures this widespread weather emergency, officials continue to plead for caution and preparedness while crews work tirelessly to restore services and clear treacherous conditions.
